1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to portable mineral processing machines and, more particularly, relates to portable mineral processing machines having control cabs and to a method and apparatus for supporting and positioning the control cab of such a machine with respect to the remainder of the machine.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Mineral processing machines including jaw crushers, gyrasphere crushers, vibrating feeders, and/or other components of portable aggregate plants must be portable so as to be capable of being transported between worksites in a quarry and thus are typically mounted on portable chassis. These machines are, however, typically relatively large and thus are difficult to transport to and from worksites within a quarry (usually referred to as in pit transport). Such transport is required relatively frequently, e.g. to move a plant away from the face of a pit to permit blasting and to subsequently reposition the plant near the face of the pit. In pit transport is further hindered because many such machines are accompanied by enclosed control cabs serving as a work stations for operators. Such control cabs have heretofore been either (1) permanently mounted on mineral processing machines, or (2) mounted on separate portable scaffolds which can be independently transported between worksites within a quarry and erected in a freestanding or dependent relationship to the mineral processing machines.
Control cabs which are permanently mounted on mineral processing machines necessarily increase the size and weight of the overall machines, thus hindering in pit transport. Moreover, many mineral processing machines such as jaw crushers are subject to rather severe vibrations in use, and these vibrations are imparted to the control cabs. Such vibrations may prove harmful to the controls mounted in or on the cabs as well as to the operators.
Independently transportable control cabs permit the size and weight of a mineral processing machine to be reduced during in pit transport but require the in pit transport of two separate elements per machine and thus increase transport expense. Such control cabs also require a relatively lengthy setup time since such a control cab must be positioned and erected at an appropriate location near or on a mineral processing machine independently of machine positioning. Even independently transported control cabs are also typically mounted on the associated mineral processing machine at the worksite, thus subjecting the cab and operator to vibrations as discussed above.